1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for removing and reducing Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the blood of patients infected with HCV; and a method for treating HCV infectious diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver having a high risk of progressing to cirrhosis or liver cancer. After HCV, which is causative of Hepatitis C, infects cells, for example liver cells, it harbors in these cells and leukocytes during the incubation period.
Apheresis has recently been employed for the purpose of treating various diseases.
In EP-A-0-319961, there is described a method of selectively removing granulocytes from blood by bringing the blood into contact with an adsorptive carrier having a higher affinity for granulocytes than for lymphocytes. That invention is concerned with cancer treatment. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also described in that application. A similar apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,768.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,443, there is described a method of treating inflammatory diseases which comprises bringing the blood of a patient into contact with an adsorptive carrier having a higher affinity for inflammatory cells (granulocytes and monocytes) than for lymphocytes. The method is reported to be useful for treating acute respiratory distress syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases and reflow disorders following myocardial infarction.
With the foregoing in view, the present inventors found a method of removing, from the blood containing leukocytes infected with HIV, HCV and/or the like virus and thereby activated and/or defective, the infected leukocytes by bringing the blood into contact with an adsorptive carrier having a higher affinity for the infected, activated and/or defective leukocytes than for uninfected, non-activated and/or non-defective leukocytes and applied for a patent for it (WO00/55621).
According to the typical method disclosed therein, the blood is brought into contact with the adsorptive carrier once a week. There is a demand for the development of a more effective method for removing and reducing HCV based on the above-described method.
The present inventors have carried out various investigations on the method of using apheresis for effectively removing and reducing HCV from the blood. As a result, it has been found that HCV can be removed and reduced from the blood very smoothly and effectively by conducting apheresis treatment once a day for at least 5 straight days, and this treatment brings about a marked improvement in the therapeutic effects of interferon or the like, leading to the completion of the present invention.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided a method of removing and reducing HCV from the blood of a patient infected with HCV by bringing the blood into contact with an adsorptive carrier having a higher affinity for infected, activated and/or defective leukocytes than for uninfected leukocytes once a day for 5 straight days.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of treating HCV infection, which comprises bringing the blood of a patient infected with HCV into contact with an adsorptive carrier having a higher affinity for infected, activated and/or defective leukocytes than for uninfected leukocytes once a day for 5 straight days, and then administering an interferon to the patient.
The treatment according to the present invention makes it possible to markedly reduce the blood HCV level of a patient suffering from Hepatitis C and therefore enables antiviral therapy, for example, therapy with interferon. It therefore contributes to a drastic improvement in the cure rate of Hepatitis C.